Salt batteries for renewable energy and vaccines for oysters: Australians rewarded for excellence in science

Last night the 2015 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes winners were announced at a gala Award Dinner at Sydney Town Hall, affectionately referred to as the Oscars of Australian science. A total of 16 prizes were given for outstanding contributions to Australian science, including new prizes for international scientific collaboration and rural innovation.

“It’s an honour to be able to recognise and reward the very best of the valuable, inspiring scientific research being done around the country,” Kim McKay AO, Executive Director and CEO of the Australian Museum said.

“The sponsors and supporters of the Eureka Prizes help us reward excellence in Australian science and I take my hat off to them,” she said.

Established in 1827, the Australian Museum is the nation’s first museum and one of its foremost scientific research, educational and cultural institutions. The Eureka Prizes are the most comprehensive national science awards, honouring excellence in Research and Innovation, Leadership, Science Communication and Journalism, and School Science.

Last night, in addition to celebrating the winners of 16 Eureka Prizes, the 2015 Australian Museum Research Institute Medal was awarded to Dr Mark Eldridge, Principal Research Scientist, Terrestrial Vertebrates, Australian Museum Research Institute. The medal is presented to an individual staff member, senior fellow or team from the Australian Museum for outstanding science and communication of their research outcomes and recognised Dr Eldridge’s work informing conservation and biodiversity management, and his outstanding mentorship.

For development of the ‘red list’ global standard for assessing environmental threats, the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems team (University of New South Wales) won the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Eureka Prize for Environmental Research. Watch the video. Read the release.

For multi-dimensional mathematical techniques that allow computer software to pick out patterns from a huge cloud of data, Dacheng Tao (University of Technology Sydney) has won the Scopus Eureka Prize for Excellence in International Scientific Collaboration. Watch the video. Read the release.

For development of an innovative new hepatitis B treatment, Marc Pellegrini and Greg Ebert (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) won the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research. Watch the video. Read the release.

For their invention of an energy-storage system based on fast-melting salts that could allow solar and wind power to generate a much large slice of Australia’s electricity, Frank Bruno, Martin Belusko and Steven Tay (University of South Australia) won the ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology. Watch the video. Read the release.

For development of early, concrete benefits from the developing field of quantum computing, Michael Biercuk (University of Sydney) won the Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher. Watch the video. Read the release.

For unlocking a mechanism that produces stem cells in blood, Peter Currie and Phong Nguyen (Monash University) and Georgina Hollway (Garvan Institute of Medical Research) won the University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Scientific Research. Watch the video. Read the release.

For the Secure Communications System for military and government, Northrop Grumman M5 Network Security won the Defence Science and Technology Group Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science for Safeguarding Australia. Watch the video. Read the release.

For creation and use of nanocrystals that can illuminate hidden diseased cells in a living body, the Super Dots team of Dayong Jin (University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University), Tanya Monro (University of South Australia and University of Adelaide) and Bradley Walsh (Minomic International and Macquarie University) won the University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research. Watch the video. Read the release.

For his work in breeding disease-resistant oysters that are also more resilient to climate change, David Raftos (Macquarie University) won the Rural Research and Development Corporations Eureka Prize for Rural Innovation. Watch the video. Read the release.

In recognition of his leadership on the Belle II international particle-accelerator experiment in Japan, Phillip Urquijo (University of Melbourne) won the 3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science. Watch the video. Read the release.

For work that has positioned Australia at the forefront of quantum computing – set to become a multi-billion-dollar industry – Michelle Simmons (University of New South Wales) won the CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science. Watch the video. Read the release.

For mentoring and leadership that has created a cadre of skilled biologists, marsupial guru Marilyn Renfree (University of Melbourne) won the University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers. Watch the video. Read the release.

For educating public and policy makers about marine science, Emma Johnston (University of New South Wales) won the Department of Industry and Science Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research. Watch the video. Read the release.

For his image, Soft Coral (right), which captures the beauty of this little-understood family of corals, Gary Cranitch (Queensland Museum) won the New Scientist Eureka Prize for Science Photography.Watch the video. Read the release. This image, two other finalists, and seven highly-commended photographs, are available for publication.

Georgia (Gigi) Souyave-Murphy and Ella Woods of St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School (Qld) won the University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Primary for their short film Cry Stoppers, which explains the science behind the infamous, unpleasant effect that onions have on our eyes. Watch the video. Read the release.

Paige Bebee from Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School (Vic) won the University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Secondary for the film The Secret of the Appendix, which explains the little-known organ and busts a few myths about its purpose in our body. Watch the video. Read the release.

Next year’s Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will open for nominations on 5 February, and will include the brand new Johnson and Johnson Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research.